Koppers Holdings Inc. - 1792 Exchange

Rating Overview

Koppers Holdings Inc. is Medium Risk.

Koppers Holdings Inc. is Medium Risk. The company often yields to political activism in shaping corporate governance, potentially alienating consumers, dividing employees, and harming shareholders. The company implements race and identity-based policies that replace merit, excellence, and integrity with preferential treatment and outcomes. The company occasionally embraces corporate initiatives that redirect its central focus from business goals to partisan policies and divisive issues at times. This approach fails to safeguard free exercise, free speech, and free enterprise.

Rating Criteria

Corporate Weaponization Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Cancellations	Medium Risk
Discriminatory Philanthropy	Lower Risk
Employment Protection	High Risk

Corporate Weaponization ⓘ

Corporate Governance and Public Policy Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Advocacy Bias	High Risk
Funding	Lower Risk
Political Actions	Lower Risk

Corporate Governance and Public Policy ⓘ

Rating Criteria Detail

Criteria Risk Level Rationale

Corporate Weaponization

Criteria:

Has canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors due to their political views or religious beliefs OR corporately boycotts, divests, or sanctions regions, people groups, or industries.

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

Koppers integrates ESG into its business practices. From its 2024 Sustainability Report: “Koppers began creating a supplier engagement program in 2023, and in 2024 we updated our Purchasing Policy to include promoting continuous improvement in Sustainability efforts when making purchases. The goal is to encourage our purchasers to make informed decisions about potential Sustainability options by integrating Sustainability into purchasing practices” (1). However, the company has not canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (2).

Criteria:

Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Koppers does not appear to discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or beliefs (1)(2).

Criteria:

Employment policies fail to protect against viewpoint or other discrimination and/or are ideological in nature.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Koppers offers DEI training to its employees (1). The company appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its supply chain. From its 2024 Sustainability Report: “We are committed to collaborating with diverse suppliers as part of our efforts to create a more resilient supply chain. We attempt to identify potential new diverse suppliers in the U.S. and aim to include at least one diverse supplier in all bids, wherever possible” (2). Koppers has a history of divisive corporate policies and practices. However, in 2024, the company removed DEI, training from its Sustainability Report. To date, the company has not publicly addressed this change, leaving shareholders without clarity regarding the company’s reasoning or future direction (3). The company does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (4).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria:

Uses corporate reputation to support causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Koppers supports DEI within its business practices, employing an Inclusion & Diversity Manager and hosting an Inclusion & Diversity Committee (1). The company supports ESG within its business practices. From its 2022 Sustainability Report: “Koppers Sustainability Committee members are responsible for implementing the actions laid out in the Sustainability Plan, collecting and monitoring environmental, social and governance (ESG) data, as well as the oversight of annual Sustainability reporting efforts” (2). Koppers supports DEI within its business practices. From its Code of Conduct: “We believe that embracing the diversity of our employes – our different abilities, strengths, thoughts and backgrounds – fosters a culture of inclusion, innovation and openness that increases Company performance
and makes us stronger and more successful wherever we do business” (3).

Criteria:

Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Koppers has not used corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (1).

Criteria:

Uses corporate political actions and/or financial contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Koppers PAC has been defunct since 2014, and has not used its lobbying for ideological purposes(1)(2)(3).